ALL-STAR BALLOTS Players take part in voting

Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina even voted for himself.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Mike Mussina was stuck.
The New York Yankees ace filled out his ballot for the All-Star game, picking nine AL position players plus a seven-man staff. Still, he was one starting pitcher short.
So he wrote down his name.
"Was it neat voting for myself? No, it felt kind of dumb," Mussina said. "But I was the last one, and it didn't say you couldn't do it."
Fans once again chose the starting lineups.
But a new Players Ballot gave major leaguers, managers and coaches a say -- for the first time since 1969 -- for the reserves in their own leagues.
Barry Bonds, Carlos Delgado and some other big names are likely to be the top choices by both groups. In those cases, the next-highest finisher on the players' list goes to the game July 15 at Chicago.
The 32-man rosters will be announced today, except for two final players to be selected by fans on the Internet.
90 percent take part
By all indications, voting was brisk among the ballplayers, with 90 percent or more taking part. Only one team did not actively participate -- less than half of the Yankees turned in ballots.
"It was not a big thing," Mussina said.
Players had until June 27 to vote and, just like fans, they used a variety of methods to pick their teams.
Baltimore pitcher Pat Hentgen was scientific. He kept a copy of the league leaders in his lap as he marked his choices.
"I went pretty much with straight stats," he said. "But if a veteran and a young guy were even, I picked the veteran. A young guy might have more chances to get there, but with a veteran, he's been doing it for a longer period of time and might not get another chance to play in an All-Star game."
Colorado reliever Steve Reed did it differently.
"Oh no, I didn't look at stats. I did it off the top of my head. I don't know the averages with runners in scoring position, but I know who's doing what," he said. "I think players see guys who are out there that are playing hard and deserve to go that might be younger guys and not household-name guys."
Atlanta center fielder Andruw Jones struggled with one particular player, expressing sentiments similar to what Bonds recently said.
"Albert Pujols, he's having a good year but he has no position. Can't vote for him," Jones said. "I mean, I would like to, but where am I going to put him? Left field? First base? Third base? I don't know."
Special consideration
Players also tried to sort out a couple of issues that fans wrangle with each year: Should a perennial All-Star and fan favorite such as Sammy Sosa get special consideration, and what about a young player such as Hank Blalock who's off to a good start?
"Stats," Atlanta slugger Gary Sheffield said. "It depends on who is having a better year. It's not a popularity contest. It's based on guys putting in the work, putting up the numbers and deserving to be rewarded for it."
Said New York Mets reliever John Franco: "I voted based on who had a good first half, not on their reputation."
That could benefit Florida's Mike Lowell, who went into the weekend leading the NL in home runs but was way behind St. Louis' Scott Rolen in fan voting at third base.
Players were given a ballot that had a list of names to work from, though write-ins were allowed. Along with a name at every position, AL players picked a DH.